Omo… censorship is one thing I’ve come to dislike greatly because as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t change anything, especially when it is being done by the owner of the platforms. Of course, they will do their best to appeal to the good side of the customers, after all, they’re the ones spending time and data on such platforms. However, I just feel that they would never do everything that they have to do to ensure that their platforms are clean and safe for everyone.
They’re businesses and their first order of business is to make money. Their second order of business is to make even more money. The third order of business is to make money while trying to look like they care about the future of our society. I can list it all, but then this would be a redundant post.
As I already said, these social media platforms are businesses and will always be treated as such, so the stakeholders will do whatever they feel will make them more money and fetch them more paying customers. Their job is simply to provide the platforms and hope that the people who use them upload the kind of content that will be safe. Because whether you like it or not, people will always find a way to circumvent even the most complicated algorithms. That very thing they don’t want on their platforms will find its way to it. Simple.
You can’t control what goes online, however, you can control what you consume. If you see an account that posts something you don’t like, you simply unfollow them and block them for better effect. That way, you’ll never see them again. If you keep seeing related posts, you keep blocking them. Eventually, the algorithm will realize the kind of content you enjoy and keep sending it your way.
However, when it comes to kids, it’s a bit different due to how malleable they are and easily impressionable. However, the duty is still not on the shoulders of the owners of the platforms. It’s the parent’s duty to monitor everything your child consumes. It’s your job to know the websites they visit, and how long they spend online. Leaving such roles to the owners of the platforms would be leaving your kid at the mercy of the internet!
At present, these platforms already have features that are meant to protect the users. There are accounts you can open for your kids that allow you to monitor everything they do online remotely. There are also features that monitor your usage, once you’ve crossed a certain threshold, the app tells you to go do something else, or straight up shuts down. Can I also mention the fact that there’s a feature that thoroughly filters everything the account gets?
You see, the platforms have done their part. All that is left is for the parents to utilize these features and make sure that they work for the betterment of their kids. We all know that as long as the internet exists, there will always be bad stuff on there. However, we must reduce the amount of bad stuff that gets through to our kids. So that when they are old enough to handle them, they will already have a solid backing.
We are responsible for the content we consume. We’re also responsible for the content our kids consume. Leaving it to the owners of the platform is a bad idea, we have to be intentional and take major steps to ensure that our kids are well protected. After all, they’re our future and would carry our legacy on to the next generation.
